Ex-lawmaker can’t go abroad

The Sandiganbayan’s Second Division has issued an order barring former Rep. Rodolfo Plaza of Agusan del Sur and his co-accused in connection with the alleged misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel from leaving the country.

“[T]his Court, in the exercise of its inherent power to use all means necessary to carry its orders into effect, more specifically, to preserve and maintain the effectiveness of its jurisdiction over the case/s and the person/s of the accused so as to render accused at all times amenable to its writs and processes, hereby orders the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation to hold the departure from the Philippines of the above-named accused and to include the name of said accused/s in the Hold Departure List of said Bureau,” the court said in several hold departure orders (HDOs) issued last August 20.